Cosmic Photo Challenge

“Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile.” William Cullen Bryant

Dale and Klee’s Cosmic Photo Challenge — oh, how I’ve missed you! Nature is just beginning to anticipate her chance to rest and recuperate from months of riotous revels reaching up to life-giving sun. To help her celebrate, Dale decided this week’s theme is The Trees. You can see Dale’s entries there, K’lee’s entries here, and how to play along on both sites.

Living in southern California, we see little of the deciduous glory so much of the world experiences. But we do have the liquid amber (Liquidambar styraciflua), commonly called the American sweetgum.

I’m from much further north than you and I’ve never heard of a Liquid Amber or a Sweetgum. The photo of that gumball is really interesting. Does the tree get covered in these balls? To me it looks like a Christmas decoration 🙂

Not covered, but scattered. You’re right, they do look like Christmas decorations. They become quite spiky when they dry out. The Liquid Amber is a lovely tree, usually teardrop shaped. The city often plants them in the grassy islands that divide different directions of traffic on major boulevards. I believe there are hardier varieties that do well in northern California (about 1,000 miles north of here), but ours don’t do well in frosty temperatures.